By The Editorial Board
As summer, Spring Weekend and — alas — finals approach, yet another Rose Hill tradition is upon us. USG elections conclude this Friday, April 12, at 5 p.m. While there are many important races, we at The Fordham Ram are most excited about an uncontested race: executive president and vice president of USG.
Aileen Reynolds, FCRH ’14 and current executive vice president of USG, and Brendan Francolini, GSB ’14 and current vice president of operations, are running unopposed for USG’s top posts at Fordham. Reynolds and Francolini are both experienced USG veterans who have proven themselves dedicated leaders of Fordham’s student body.
We greet these rising student leaders with the utmost optimism. Reynolds and Francolini appear to be prepared both to continue implementing the improvements USG has made and to push USG to become an even more effective advocate for students.
There are several areas in particular in which we look forward to seeing continued progress in a Reynolds-Francolini administration. In the wake of various events at Fordham, free speech has emerged as an issue that will not disappear anytime soon. Fordham’s administration has shown some hesitance to seriously considering policy changes that will improve the free speech situation on campus. While there have been some small steps made toward greater student freedom, there is still much work to be done.
Reynolds and Francolini exhibit a deep understanding of the complex realities and importance of continuing the push for free speech at Fordham. We anticipate substantial strides in the expansion of student free speech from their administration.
Hearing the students’ voices is one of Reynolds’ and Francolini’s main goals, especially regarding dining. Francolini, as a current member the Student Engagement Dining Service Committee, plans to make sure that students’ opinions and ideas are heard and used by the selected vendor.
Additionally, Reynolds and Francolini plan to make sure students’ voices are heard by involving students in the hiring process for positions that have a direct interaction with and influence over students. This is crucial because it allows students to voice an important perspective on what makes a compelling candidate that may be unique from administration.
USG has also committed to increasing its transparency in recent years. For example, USG has been allowing Fordham students to attend regular meetings, even if they are not members of USG. This initiative provides students the ability to voice their concerns on issues as USG discusses them. Reynolds and Francolini understand that many students are not aware of this opportunity or, at the least, are not taking advantage of it. In order to incorporate more voices into the process, they look to motivate students to sit in on more meetings and take part in important conversations.
This, in addition to further advances in USG’s transparency will help students to be more informed and more aware of the goings-on of their student government.
Reynolds and Francolini would also like to see more students get involved in USG. They say that each year it is difficult to fill all the various positions in USG; in fact, many positions are not always filled at the elections held in the spring and they require follow-up elections in the fall. If all positions were filled immediately, USG could operate at its optimum level sooner, better serving all students. Perhaps even more importantly, students can help make USG stronger by going to its meetings and letting student leaders like Reynolds and Francolini know what they would like to see changed at Fordham.
As promising as the year ahead looks for USG under a Reynolds-Francolini administration, there is a potential roadblock that could stand to dilute its effectiveness: you, the student. USG is only as strong as the student body allows it to be.
An uninterested, dispassionate student body makes USG inherently weaker. In order to build a stronger, more effective USG, as well as a USG that will fight for what students believe in, the student body must show their interest and let the administration know that USG is our government, our leaders and our voice. Do not silently take the backseat; make your voice heard.
